Philosopher · 551 BC – 479 BC
Confucius
Little-Known Facts
- Confucius held only minor government posts and considered himself a political failure in his lifetime.
- His descendants in the Kong family have been traced for more than seventy generations.
Myths & Misconceptions
Did Confucius found a religion?
Not in the usual sense. Confucianism is primarily an ethical and social philosophy, though it acquired religious dimensions and state veneration over time.